Here are a couple of book reviews I wrote for an assignment set by my Uncle who gave me the books.
The Big J; Andrew Murray Scott; Savage Publishers; £7.95
Set in a fictional Scottish village on the North East coast, this novel is full of evocative local detail. The story centres around local teenager, Robbie Strachan, and ‘the big J’, a stranger to the area. He rides a motorbike and for Robbie and his friends, soon becomes an idol.
For these frustrated adolescents, the summer is ripe with possibility and ‘J’ is soon in over his head, Robbie watching jealously from the sideline. Promptly balance is lost and things start to head downhill - fast.
Although it’s an interesting read The Big J is not as gripping as it could be. We don’t really get to know the characters because of their lack of dimension and the ending comes as no surprise to most. Its redeeming feature is the well captured essence of the place which, unlike the characters, doesn’t fall flat. Overall, a worthwhile read for anyone interested in a sense of what life is like in a tiny coastal village in Scotland.
Andrew Murray Scott was born in Aberdeen. He has written four novels including Tumulus, his first, which won the inaugural Dundee Book Prize in 1999.
White Male Heart; Ruaridh Nicoll; Black Swan; £6.99
Aaron and Hugh have grown up together in the bleak wilderness of the Scottish highlands and are bound to each other like brothers. United by a love of their natural surroundings and difficult family life they rely on each other for support. But now change comes upon them when a woman arrives in the area, forcing Hugh to think of his future and to look at his friend in a new light.
As the strain between them builds and anger ripens, they turn to the only brutal vice they know….
This shocking tale of friendship and betrayal will leave you breathless as Nicoll builds tensions into an explosive climax. He captures the brooding sense of the place and delves deep into the dark, innate psyche of his characters. Written in instinctively original prose White Male Heart is startlingly visceral and will stay with it’s readers for a long time. Some may find it too brutal and shocking but I would say that this fantastically written book is worth every penny.
An award-winning journalist, Ruaridh Nicoll has worked for the Observer and the Guardian. White Male Heart is his first novel. He grew up in the highland county of Sutherland.
The Big J; Andrew Murray Scott; Savage Publishers; £7.95
Set in a fictional Scottish village on the North East coast, this novel is full of evocative local detail. The story centres around local teenager, Robbie Strachan, and ‘the big J’, a stranger to the area. He rides a motorbike and for Robbie and his friends, soon becomes an idol.
For these frustrated adolescents, the summer is ripe with possibility and ‘J’ is soon in over his head, Robbie watching jealously from the sideline. Promptly balance is lost and things start to head downhill - fast.
Although it’s an interesting read The Big J is not as gripping as it could be. We don’t really get to know the characters because of their lack of dimension and the ending comes as no surprise to most. Its redeeming feature is the well captured essence of the place which, unlike the characters, doesn’t fall flat. Overall, a worthwhile read for anyone interested in a sense of what life is like in a tiny coastal village in Scotland.
Andrew Murray Scott was born in Aberdeen. He has written four novels including Tumulus, his first, which won the inaugural Dundee Book Prize in 1999.
White Male Heart; Ruaridh Nicoll; Black Swan; £6.99
Aaron and Hugh have grown up together in the bleak wilderness of the Scottish highlands and are bound to each other like brothers. United by a love of their natural surroundings and difficult family life they rely on each other for support. But now change comes upon them when a woman arrives in the area, forcing Hugh to think of his future and to look at his friend in a new light.
As the strain between them builds and anger ripens, they turn to the only brutal vice they know….
This shocking tale of friendship and betrayal will leave you breathless as Nicoll builds tensions into an explosive climax. He captures the brooding sense of the place and delves deep into the dark, innate psyche of his characters. Written in instinctively original prose White Male Heart is startlingly visceral and will stay with it’s readers for a long time. Some may find it too brutal and shocking but I would say that this fantastically written book is worth every penny.
An award-winning journalist, Ruaridh Nicoll has worked for the Observer and the Guardian. White Male Heart is his first novel. He grew up in the highland county of Sutherland.
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